Facebook to train 10,000 female entrepreneurs to address gender gap

Facebook to train 10,000 female entrepreneurs to address gender gap

Facebook has partnered with Enterprise Nation to train thousands of businesswomen, in a bid to close the gender gap with their male counterparts.

The programme aims to provide female entrepreneurs with access to beneficial resources, including events, online courses and digital and mobile tools, to support their growing businesses.

Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Facebook indicated the scheme could generate up to £45m for the UK’s coffers. Data from Facebook also showed that just 20 per cent of 5.4 million UK small businesses have female founders. A YouGov study suggested that confidence is a major issue for women when it comes to starting an enterprise.

Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Facebook, said: “It’s encouraging to see a shift in the right direction when it comes to women aspiring to start up their own businesses. But there’s still a huge amount of work to do.

“We believe there is real opportunity here in the UK, whether through entrepreneurship education or by providing incentives, training and support for those who want to set up a business, to inspire more women to turn their great business ideas into reality.”

The programme forms part of #SheMeansBusiness, an initiative to support women in business, which the social media giant launched last year.

Emma Jones MBE, founder of small business support group Enterprise Nation, said: “We are seeing more women than ever before build and grow brilliant businesses across all business sectors.

“A recent survey we conducted found that female founders remain optimistic about what the future holds, despite the Brexit negativity to which they are exposed.

“The small business community is unlike any other. Firms at this stage can often pivot and adapt more quickly, as well as chase opportunity.”